This project started with the green version of Hot Wheels’ 1992 Fox Mustang that came out a couple years ago. I initially tried to delete the tampo lines it originally had, but when I applied acetone with a cotton dab the original green paint came off, so I ended up abandoning the project.

It sat like that for a real while since I didn’t have a defined project for it, until we held our first customcontest, and I decided to turn it into a drag car that was heavily based in the countless “small tire” class Fox Mustangs that aren’t allowed to run rear tires wider than 10.5 inches, so they can fit perfectly under the stock wheelwells. This meant that my custom wouldn’t need a lot of modifications to its chassis, which was a big time advantage for me.

Already stripped, I proceeded to drill all the holes the car needed, like the one in the nose so the turbine of the crank-driven supercharger could see the light of day. That piece came from an engine off an unidentified Hot Wheels car that was in my parts box, and that I had to cut and trim so it could fit between the inner space of the nose and the rivet post. I also made the cuts for the side-dump exhaust tips, and trimmed down the original wing a bit so it could support the one that I eventually fabricated out of aluminum sheet.

The interior of the car was modified with the deletion of the rear seat, over which I fabricated a cover out of sheet aluminum. I also made a custom rollcage with aluminum tubing which was painted gloss black, while the rest of the interior was painted flat black.

One of the biggest problems I had with this custom was finding a proper set of wheels and tires. I tried several combinations to no avail, as most of them weren’t drag racy enough nor modern enough to fit well a Fox Mustang. The answer came by way of a set of M2 Machines axles. The fronts were perfect as the skinny tires were on point for a drag car, but the original rear tires were too thin for a drag car, so I had to modify the inner part of the M2 wheel for it to accept a Hot Wheels Real Riders slick, that gave it the meaty look that’s a must in a good drag car.

I chose flat black because of its undeniable malevolence, the car looks sinister and mean. But I didn’t want a flat blob of black, so I detailed the side moldings with Tamiya gloss black. The headlights were painted in Tamiya silver, and I then applied clear waterdecal tampos to simulate the lights. The taillamps were laid out in Tamiya Clear Red.

The twin spokes of the wheels were painted gold so they would pop more. The exhaust tips were fabricated cutting some video plugs to fit; I also had to trim down the chassis in order to accommodate them.

I fabricated the wing with aluminum sheet cut to fit, that was then incorporated to the body with super glue. It was the most challenging part of the project because of the symmetry of the wing. I decided to paint it body color to keep the sinister theme of the car going.

The details on the grille of the Mustang –the grille bars and holes- were filled out with epoxy so the area where the supercharger can be seen would be completely flat, just like an aftermarket fiberglass part. The turbine blades of the blower were detailed with Tamiya gunmetal paint.

I really liked the end result of this project, as it’s really close to the “small tire” Mustang drag cars, so much so that I decided to run it with no wheelie bars, as several sanctioning bodies don’t allow them in those classes. I only wish the Hot Wheels casting was a better starting point –its proportions are quite a bit off- but in the end I think I achieved a good representation of a “typical” Fox drag car.